Well reamer



Sept. 11, 1923.

. W. J. HOGUE WELL RBAMER Filed Dec. 19. .1921

Patented Sept. 11, 1923.

UNITED STATES 1,467,480 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. ROGUE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIG'NOR TO PETROLEUM RE- COVERY CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE WELL REAMER.

Application filed December 19, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'WILLIAM J. Hooon, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Kansas City, county of Jackson, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in \Vell Reamers, of which the following is a complete specification.

The present invention relates to apparatus for use in the reaming out and cleaning of wells, and the principal object in view is to provide a simple and inexpensive device for eflicient operation in the reaming outof the bottoms of. wells for the purpose both of cleaning the same and also enlarging the reservoir space around the well bottom.

Accordingly, I have devised a novel form of reaming device'which is adapted to be attached to the lower end of the pump tubing, and actuated by rotation of the tubing for effecting the reaming operation by the centrifugal movement of a pair of reaming cutters which are pivotally suspended for free outward swinging movement in opposite directions.v

\Vith this general object 'in view, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing, illustrating one form of construction which I have devised for embodying the proposed improvements, after which the novel features therein will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing Figure l is a sectional perspective view, illustrating a pumping apparatus having associated therewith a reamer device constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to the lower portion of'Figure 1, but illustrating the reamer cutters spread into different operative positions;

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the reamer device; and

Figures 4 and 5 are transverse sections taken on the lines IV--IV and V-V of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, this illustrates the improved reamer as com prising a pair of mating reaming cutters 10 pivotally connected at their upper ends, as

indicated at 12, to the opposite sides of ahead-piece 14 (see Figure 3). Depending centrally from this head-piece 14 and extending between the cutter members 10 1s a Serial No. 523,304.

longitudinal stem portion 15 terminating at its lower end in a drill bit member 16, the upper shoulder portion of which is adapted to shield or protect the lower ends of the cutter members 10 when the latter are in collapsed position, as illustrated in Figure 3, which would be the position assumed by the parts on lowering of the same down into the well sands for the reaming or cutting to the lowerendot' a string of pump tubing- 20 forming a part of a. pumping apparatus operated from the top of the-well, as shown in Figure 1, where the pump tubing 20 is shown as rotatably supported from a swivel member 21 suspended, from a cable 22v adapted to be operated from the usual winch apparatus (not shown) for-taking up or letting down the tubing. The upper end of the tubing 20 is slidingly fitted through the hub of a bevel gear 24 journaled upon a suitable framework 25 located at the top of the well, said bevel gear meshing with a bevel pinion 26 on a shaft 27 journaled in bearings 28 on said framework 25, which shaft also carries a pulley 29 adapted to be driven in any preferred manner. Above the gear 24, a collar 30 is clamped to the tubing 20 by means of a clamping screw 31, said collar being formed with a projection 32 having slidable-engagement with a post .33 projecting vertically from the outer margin of the gear 24'; in

this manner, the gear 24 is adapted to drive the. tubing 20, for imparting rotary movement thereto, while at the'same time allow-"' ing the tubing to be raised or lowered is designed especially for the reaming out and cleaning of the bottoms of oil wells, in order to renew the flow of the oil in those wells which have apparently become exhausted. It is well known that practically all oil wells undergo a shooting operation by means of a hi h explosive for the purposeof cracking 51c sands around the bottom of the well and starting the flow of the oil. This operation sometimes ruins what might otherwise hfiNe been a good flowing well, on account of the packing and sealing of the sand around the walls of the well and thereby effectually preventing any flowing or seeping of the oil into the bottom of the well. Whenever such a packed and sealed condition occurs, either by the shooting of the well or the accumulation of paraflin or asphalt around the walls of the well, the only effective means for re-' moving such obstructions'to the flow of the oil is to cut away and remove all such crusted formations, thereby restoring the walls of the bottom of the well to that natural condition of the sand which will permit the normal flow and seepage of the oil intothe reservoir space existing at the bottom of the well or pump tubing. Such is the function of the present apparatus, in the operation of which the improved device is attached to the lower'end of the tubing 20 and let down to the bottom of the well, and the driving mechanism attached to the'u'pper end of said tubing for rotating the tubing and the reaming cutters; and as the device is let down into its operative position, it will be observed that the drill bit member 16 will protect the lower ends of the cutter members 10 andfacilitate the feeding of the device into the sand. Since the reamer cutters 10 are pivoted at points 12 which are at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the stem 15, and hence on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the device, it will be under in Figure 2. This results in the gradual cutting down of the walls around the bottom of the well, and thus effectually removing the compacted deposits above referred to, and also increasing the size of the reservoir space so that a larger seepage area is provided around the bottom of the well as well as a materially larger reservoir or basin for the accumulation of the oil.

It is thus apparent that a simple, practical and efiicient device has been provided forv carrying out the desired objects of the invention, and while I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred form of construction, I desire to reserve the right to make such changes as may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In combination with a well pump tubing, a reaming device adapted to be attached to'the lower. end of said tubing and comprising an axial stem portion and a pair of mating reaming cutters pivotally suspended on opposite sides of said stem portion for free outward swinging movement on rotation of said tubing, said stem portion terminating at its lower end in a drill bit element adapted to shield the lower ends of the cutters in the lowering of the device to operative position.

2. In combination with a Well pump tubing, a reaming device adapted to be attached to the lower end of said tubing and comprising a pair of mating reaming cutteis provided with helically arranged cutting edges, said cutters being pivotally suspended for free outward swinging movement about centers at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said tubing.

In witness whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM J. HOGUE. 

